The Foot - The Pictures

24 hours after the fall

3 days after the fall

The Foot

Well, today is day 2 with the boot, and I don't know if I am going to make it another 5 weeks and 5 days. Pregnancy wasn't as annoying as this thing is. But at least it is black, so it matches everything. :) And for those of you that don't know the story, here goes:

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Friday, August 7th, our family was staying at my Uncle Paul's house for a few days. We had been at my cousin's cottage in Huron at the beginning of the week, and came back to Wadsworth for the rest of the week. The girls were down in the family room watching a new movie that I found at a yard sale for Maddie. I forget the name of it, but it is some kind of Buzz Lightyear cartoon, and she loves Toy Story. Anyway, I was carrying down a plate for each of them of some strawberries (which are their favorite) and thought that I was on the bottom step, but I wasn't, and I went down. As Don would say "I went down like a $2.00 whore. Gotta love his sense of humor! It hurt pretty bad, and immediately started swelling. So we proped it up and starting putting ice on it.

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The next morning it was still pretty sore, and I decided that I wanted to go home. It was August 8th, which was the day of my 25th class reunion from Wadsworth High School. Don kept saying that he could prop me up in the corner of the bar, and that we should still go, but I was done. I just wanted to be in my own house. Poor fella, he had to load up the van by himself, which was a lot of crap after being on the road for a week. We then went to Mom and Dad's for lunch and one final visit before heading back to Kentucky. And the great news, they had a pair of crutches! On the drive back home, I sat in the third row of the van, so that I could keep my foot elevated. The girls loved having Mommy sitting behind them, and kept talking to me about the cartoons that we were watching. We made it home in good time and then my poor husband had to unload me and then the rest of the stuff in the van. GOD LOVE HIM! I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful, caring and loving husband.

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Sunday, I pretty much spent my day on the loveseat icing my foot and passing the time on Don's laptop. The foot didn't really hurt, but was pretty swolen, oh and starting to turn colors. Monday morning Don came in to check on me, as I have been sleeping in Sami's room, and my foot was even more purple. He told me to call the doctor's office and that I needed to get it looked at. I am thinking that it is a waste of time and that I have only sprained it, but I call them anyway and talk to the nurse. She told me to get it x-rayed and phoned me in a prescription to get it done. Within an hour of having the x-rays taken, I found out that I had fractured my foot. Boy, did it pain me to tell Don that "he was right, and I was wrong". Anyway, yesterday I went to see Dr. Pawsat (the foot doctor) and got my walking boot.

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I have to go back in three weeks to have another x-ray and see if there is any more damage to the foot. After telling him how I fell and how the foot reacted, he is concerned that there might be another break that wouldn't show up on the type of x-ray that they took. So the next time it will be a weight bearing something or other...

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Well, that is my story and I am sticking to it! It is kind of nice being waited on for a change, but it is also getting old very fast.

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More updates to follow...

Oh, Maddie!!!!

God love her!!! That is about all I can say right now. I am about ready to start pulling my hair out. Well, I guess not, especially since I just got it done. Anyway, I took the girls upstairs this afternoon for "quiet time". I go into Emma's room, and there are blue crayon squiggles all over her floor. So, I start yelling "who did this?" And they both get a scared look on their face. Emma says it was Maddie, and Maddie just starts backing up towards her room. I ask Maddie "why did you do that? you know that the crayons are for paper!" And she says "well, I thought that it was paper". So, she gets three smacks on the leg, and then I go and get the baby wipes. Then all three of us clean up the floor. Emma too, because she knows better. I asked her "why didn't you tell her to stop?" And Emma replies "well, I did, but she wouldn't". And I said "well then why didn't you come and get Mommy?" and all she could say was "I don't know". Of all of the things that Emma will tattle on, why she didn't tattle on floor coloring, is beyond me.

School can't start soon enough...

A Very Productive Crop

Last Friday, July 17th, I was able to leave my girls and hubby at home and enjoy the first crop at the new location of "The Scrapyard". It was a great and very productive night. I got to spend the evening in "the George" room with a large poster of George Clooney himself looking down on me. Here are pictures of the layouts that I was able to create.

I know, it is sad, but I am just now going back and doing Emma's first birthday.

I am picking up a "Delta Queen" title from Diane on Friday, so that I can finish the boat layout.

Ah, my baby, and her first steps...

And a layout from April 2008.

Chuck E Cheese

Saturday (July 11th), Don and I and the rest of our family (yes, Sami too) had the pleasure of going to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate Conner's 4th birthday. THANKS AMY!!! :) The girls had a great time, and thanks to PBS Kids, they knew the slogan "where a kid can be a kid" and I have been hearing it ever since. Oh, and they keep asking when we can go back... Even though the girls can't eat pizza, they had a yummy lunch and were able to have some ice cream.

They enjoyed all of the rides, and all of the games...

Emma's face says it all! This was how Mommy was feeling after two hours!

Ah, a much better smile...

And we can't go without a goofy face from Maddie...

I'm not sure which was more painful...the noise and the games, or spending 10 minutes at the prize counter to turn in our tickets...

But, the best part of all was after! Don took the girls home and I went to Hobby Lobby with Melanie and Stephanie! What a wonderful husband I have, and thanks girls for such a fun shopping experience!

Emma's Scrapbook Done For 2007

Here are the final layouts for Emma's 2007 scrapbook. Enjoy!

Darn Kids...

The girls and I went to Kroger yesterday after an exciting morning of library reading hour and lunch at McDonalds. They wanted some strawberries, but they didn't look very good, so we got some blueberries. The girls were really excited about making blueberry pancakes for breakfast. So, this morning we got out all the ingredients and started making the pancakes, gluten free of course. Well, you know how fun it is cooking with a 3 and a 5 year old, but let the games begin. We add all the ingredients together and the girls take turns mixing the batter. I even made triple the batch, so we could warm some up for tomorrow. When we are done mixing, I send the girls into the family room to watch tv while I cook them. They were so excited for their first blueberry pancakes, that I call them back into the kitchen as soon as they start to cool.

Emma "yeah! blueberry pancakes"

Maddie "and we helped make them"

Two minutes later, they are back into the kitchen telling me that they don't like blueberry pancakes and want to know what else they can eat for breakfast. Needless to say, I had to pick the blueberries out of the rest of the batter, so that there would be some pancakes left for them to eat. But, I guess now I have all of the blueberry pancakes that I can eat!

Darn kids...

A Conversation With Maddie

Last night I had the pleasure of going to a crop at The Scrapyard (thanks Don and Diane, without you both, it would not have been possible). It was a wonderful little escape and I was able to get several layouts done, of which I will post later. This morning Don fills me in on a conversation with Madalyn Rae. Now, for those of you who don't know Maddie, she definitely has a country twang when it comes to several words (hopefully the speech class that she will start in the fall will take care of that). So, here is the conversation:

Maddie: "Daddy, I have a surprise for you"

Daddy: "What is it sweetie?"

Maddie: "You have to come upstairs with me and see"

Daddy: "Alright" and takes her hand and they go upstairs...

Maddie: "Look Daddy! I poo pooed!"

Daddy: "Wow, that is great! Did you wipe your bum?"

Maddie: (as she puts her face down by the toilet seat) "Look at all that corn!!!"

Daddy: "What a good girl" then he proceeds to wipe and flush...

What can you say after a conversation like that? Out of the mouths of babes...

Maddie Madness

I know that no two siblings are the same, and that is definitely the case between Maddie and Emma. I hope that Maddie will soon outgrow this stage when she turns 4 next month, but I am not holding my breath. Here are two Maddie stories that happened within 12 hours of each other. Last night at around 9:30 I heard the pitter patter of little feet and went upstairs to investigate. Maddie's light was on and when I opened the door, she was sitting on the floor playing with her Fisher Price Alphabet Animal Zoo. That may not have been too bad, except for the fact that I had her pick it up and put it in her closet 45 minutes before. So again, I told her to pick it up, put it away, turn off the light and go to bed, and she just sits there looking at me like I am a moron. Then jump forward to noon today. Don came home for lunch and was looking in the refrigerator for the lunch meat that he bought the day before at Kroger, and he couldn't find it. So, we both start looking for it and still can't find it, and then I look at Maddie, and she has this look on her face. So I ask Maddie what happened to the meat and she starts crying. Don is yelling because we need to find it because it will smell and attract mice... So, again, I ask Maddie where it is, and she leads me downstairs, but it isn't there. So we come back upstairs to the kitchen and Don starts asking her about it. Still crying, she takes Don upstairs to her room and pulls back the covers and there it is. We have no idea when she took it up there and exactly how much she ate, but at least we found it.

Now, on a good note, she is potty trained. We are still working out the wiping of the bum thing, but otherwise, she is doing well.

So, if anyone has any suggestions (besides beatings) as to how to handle a soon to be 4 year old, please let me know. Also, if you know of any way to keep them out of the refrigerator, besides a log chain, your suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)

Yeah! Maddie Layouts Finished For 2007!

I may not be keeping a clean house, but I am really working hard on getting the girl's scrapbooks in order. Actually the downstairs doesn't look too bad, but don't even go upstairs! The pumpkin patch layout I did tonight while Don had some bonding time with his Dad watching NASCAR and "Jake and the Fatman". Sometimes when it comes to their TV selections, you just have to walk away! :) But they did put up a new cealing fan in the family room today, so I guess I should cut them some slack. Anyway, the balance of the layouts I was able to get done at the crop on Friday night.

Emma's Preschool Graduation

May 9, 2009

What an exciting day! Emma graduated from preschool at Straub Elementary!

We had to go shopping to find the perfect dress. Well, I guess as perfect as you can get in Maysville, KY. It was pink and a little frilly with a pink flower, and that was good enough for Emma! Thanks Baba and Papa for the dress, what a lovely graduation present! Baba and Papa came down from Wadsworth for the big day. We had a nice visit before we had to take Emma to the school for the ceremony. We had to be there 45 minutes before so that they took take some class pictures. So, while Emma was doing her thing, the rest of us had to sit on the gym bleachers and wait for the festivities to begin.

Here are a few pictures of the big day:

Mom and I had to keep yelling at Emma, well whispering loudly, to keep her legs together! There was a little bit of pantie exposure...

After the ceremony, crossing the bridge to Kindergarten.

Lovely family photos!

After the ceremony and pictures, we went to Applebee's for a celebration dinner.

And just think, we will get to do this again next year for Maddie, and Kindergarten graduation for Emma! Only 13 more years to go!!

Woke Up To Poop!!

Don was out of town from Wednesday to Friday, so I had potty training duty all by myself, oh and Maddie. Thursday morning (May 28th) I wake up to "hey mommy, I have a surprise for you! Look, I poopied in the potty! It looks like peanut butter"! Well, what can I say after that, besides "yeah, Maddie". It was so hard not to laugh, and she was so proud of herself. So I made a big deal out of it, of course, and then let her pick out a piece of candy. Normally, there wouldn't be candy at 8:00am, but at this point, whatever it takes!

Finally, Emma Lost Her Tooth!

Sunday night I noticed that Emma's gums was getting pretty red where the new tooth is coming in. So, on Monday, I called the dentist to see what I should do (it has been way too long since I lost a tooth). Anyway, they said that it needed to come out, and that if I couldn't get it, then she needed to come in. They would use a little laughing gas, if necessary, and pull it out. So after nap time, I told her that it was time for the old tooth to come out because we didn't want the new tooth to get sick. She fussed for a minute so I had her get Sheepie to snuggle with while I pulled out the tooth. After Sheepie was tight in her grip, I got a napkin so that I could get a good grip on the tooth. Two pulls later, and it was out! No fuss and just a little bit of blood. She did great! I am so proud of her! At bedtime,we got out the pewter container that a friend gave her when she was born. It is a beautiful round box with a lid especially for the tooth fairy. We put the tooth inside and put it on a little table at the foot of her bed. I wanted to make sure that I could get to it easily and make the switch. Well, around 11:00pm when Don and I were going to bed, I snuck in to take the tooth and leave two quarters, and she woke up. UGH!! I couldn't believe it, but just my luck. I was able to get the tooth, and put the money beside the box before I told her that I thought I heard something and just wanted to check on her. She laid back down and got lots of hugs and kisses (to keep her mind off of the tooth fairy) and went back to sleep. At 6:40 this morning she woke us up to let us know that the tooth fairy had come and gave her two moneys. More hugs and kisses and then we sent her back to her room to play quietly until 7:00.

I Love Spring!

My three favorite pictures from today. My tulips and a bug...

Emma and her loose tooth, oh and some potato chips...

And Maddie looking so sweet and innocent smelling a tulip right before she breaks it...

Maddie - My Wild Child

God love her and protect her, that is all that I can say about Maddie. If she makes it through her toddler years without a broken bone, I will be SO HAPPY!! On Friday, April 17th, the girls and I went Krogering while Don went to get Sami in Cincinnati. When we got home, I let the girls play outside while I put the groceries away. I had the door open so that I could hear them, plus I kept looking out the window just to see what they were doing. Well, they were out there laughing so I decided to see what they were laughing at and Maddie is hanging on the monkey bars of the swing set. But what was even better, was the fact that Emma was standing on the ladder to the monkey bars and was pushing Maddie (I guess because Maddie wasn't swinging enough already). And then...Maddie lets go...falling, falling, falling. Well it isn't THAT far, but it seemed like forever before she hit the ground. While I am watching this with my heart in my throat and waiting for the screams, they both just keep laughing! I couldn't believe it, and start yelling at both of them. At Maddie trying to explain to her how she could get hurt, and Emma because she knows better, and to NEVER EVER do that again. Later, when Don and Sami get home, I am telling them what the girls did and ask Emma how many times Maddie did it, and she says "two". UGH!!

Emma's First Loose Tooth

On Wednesday, after quiet time, I was talking to Emma. I had to do a double take, because one of her bottom teeth looked funny. So, I said "Emma let me look at your teeth" and immediately her hands cover her mouth and she starts to panic. So I said "I think you are getting ready to get a big girl tooth. Can Mommy take a look?" Slowly the hands drop, and I am able to get a peek inside her mouth. Sure enough one of the bottom teeth has a wiggle. Now, she is excited and can't wait to start wiggling it herself. For the next 20 minutes we talk about loose teeth, big girl teeth, the tooth fairy, how the tooth fairy gets into the house, what the tooth fairy brings, etc... blah blah blah. I have officially created a monster! When Maddie wakes up from her nap, guess what the first thing Emma tells her? You got it, her loose tooth. Guess what Daddy hears as soon as he walks into the door from work? You got it, her loose tooth. Guess what the dance teacher hears when we get to class? The list is endless! So, for the few of you that haven't heard the story...Emma is getting ready to loose her first tooth. :) My baby is growing up! :(

Disney - Day Two

On Monday, March 30th, we left Perry, GA after enjoying the free breakfast buffet at the Hampton Inn for Orlando, FL. Only 335 painstaking miles to Disney. Life truly doesn't get any better then this.

A very welcoming sign...

So, we stopped at the first rest area in Florida so that the girls could stretch their legs, use the potty (well except for Maddie) and get a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.

And then of course we made time for a photo op at the Welcome Center.

And then, we were back on the road to Disney. I lost count how many times I was asked "are we there yet?" Doesn't karma have a funny way of getting you back for what you did to your parents when you were little... I can't imagine how my parents did it without air conditioning and dvd players! And as we get closer to Orlando, this car passes us. I'm sure that the bride and her family were so proud of how this car was decorated...

Finally!! We make it to Disney World. I don't think that I was ever so happy to see a sign, well except for "Welcome to Kentucky" a few days later. So we drive inside the Disney compound and start looking for our hotel. We stayed at the Double Tree Resort, which was within walking distance of Downtown Disney. This was a really nice hotel, and thanks to Don's many business trips, it was free. I think what we liked most was the bar in the lobby, and a king size bed with folding doors separating us from the girls. It was wonderful. Anyway, once we got situated in the hotel, we decided to walk down to Downtown Disney and see what there was to do and eat, since we needed real food. And here are a few of the sites...

You could do hot air balloon rides for $20 per person and I think childred were $10, but how fun can it be when your tied there? I want to float!!! Somewhere!!!

There is also a Planet Hollywood there, and this is me with the girls standing in front of "Jenny", the boat from Forrest Gump.

And here is where we ate. The food was pretty good, but I am not that into seafood. Oh well, Don picked it and sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

After spending time at Downtown Disney we were ready to walk back to the hotel. I hit the bar, and boy was that pina colada tasty, and we made some microwave popcorn for the girls before bed. It took about an hour before they finally went to sleep. They were so excited to go the the castle in the morning, that they couldn't stop talking. At least, Don and I were able to retire to the king size bed and some peace and quiet.

End of Day Two...

Maddie's Intervention

Leave it to Kentucky to make sure that your child is dumb enough to go to preschool...

Maddie was tested a couple of months ago to see if she "qualified" for preschool. They were tested in motor skills, speech, etc. Well, Maddie has some speech issues, which meant that she got to go back for her second round of testing. And, today was the big day! PRESCHOOL INTERVENTION. She will go on Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to11am for the next three weeks. If all goes well, she will be enrolled in the preschool program at Straub starting in August. How sad is it that you hope your child has issues so that they qualify.

Anyway, here is Maddie with her Dora lunch box which contained some rice cakes, cheese, diapers and wipes. Heaven forbid she be potty trained before school starts.

She was nervous for about a minute and then found some blocks to play with.

And here she is with Miss Bare. We have been blessed that both girls have gotten fantastic preschool teachers.

When I went to pick her up, she was still playing. She had a blast and couldn't stop talking about it. I just hope that the next 13 years of education will go as smoothly.

Disney - Day One

Well, as some of you already know, we made the decision to take the girls to Disney World this year. Emma loves the princesses' and I figured that if we went, I wanted to go while she would still enjoy seeing them. So on Sunday, March 29th, we loaded up the van, which was close to looking like the Clampets, and off we went.

Here is a picture of the girls and me right before departure. Somehow I managed to have a happy look on my face...

And then we were off... We decided to drive to Perry, GA on the first day, which was 553 miles away. It started out alright. The girls had a new dvd to watch (Franny's Feet from Netflix - if you are not a member of Netflix, I highly recommend it, it is well worth the money). Anyway, I think that they watched that dvd six times between Maysville and Orlando. Here is a picture of the girls and how happy they are that they are going to Disney, but we were only one hour into the trip...Oh, and notice the neck pillows. I thought that they would be a good idea for the trip, and Melanie even made a blanket to go with it with matching fabric and minky. Well, they did use the blankets, but the pillows have not been a big hit.

We are finally out of Kentucky and into Tennessee... and what is this? Rest Area Closed??? I guess they have never traveled with a 5 year old...

So, we finally find a rest area, and this is what we get...

A closed down restaurant with a new banner... I guess that is cheaper then building a new one. And finally, Georgia...

So, after spending a little over nine hours in the car, we finally make it to the hotel. The girls enjoyed spreading out... oh, and what is it with the sticking out of the tongue?

After all that we have dealt with that day, Don and I were ready to sit down to dinner and have a drink. Well, Perry does not sell alcohol on Sundays... What a nice way to start the trip. At least there was a nice McDonald's with a Playland next to the hotel too, so the girls were able to burn off some energy. Day One has come to an end, only six more to go...